Free Republic

George Bush and the federal government are not to blame for the disaster we have witnessed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In fact, the primary responsibility for the disaster response lies with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and other local officials. Yet leading Democrats and their allies in the major media are clearly using this disaster for political purposes and ignoring one obvious fact. This fact – which needs to be repeated and remembered – is that in our country, state and local governments have primary responsibility in dealing with local disasters. The founding fathers...

Sean Penn bales water out of a boat with a plastic cup as he and members of his entourage make an attempt to rescue stranded people in New Orleans.

Schmidt Wins 08/02 11:05 PM The local affiliate Fox 19 has just called the race for Jean Schmidt over Paul Hackett 52 to 48 percent. Many thanks to all The Buzz readers who helped keep all of us on breaking news side of this. And thanks to everyone who kept reading late tonight as well. The Channel 9 affiliate has called the race as well.

So I have been trying to rent an apartment in my home...and all I have answering the ads are boyfriends and girlfriends. No matter what social status, no matter what income level, I am seeing unmarried twenty, thirty and forty year old couples who want to live together. If I question them, they don't even understand why I am asking. These are Christians and Jews. I was so surprised to find that it would be so difficult to find a young married couple. Tell me Dear Freeper...am I totally out of the ballgame to expect to find a young married...

I am dismayed so far by the Republican response to Durbin's statements comparing our treatment of the Gitmo detainees to that given by the Nazi's, Soviets and Pol Pot. I heard Mitch McConnell and some other Senator on the Michael Savage Show debating and questioning Durbin in an entirely too civil manner. It is my opinion that Durbin's statements--and Hillary's and every Democrat who is suggesting that we are mistreating or torturing Gitmo detainees should, in turn, be responded to with nothing less than derision. It seems to me that by failing to do so, the Republicans are treating Durbin's...

Many argue that communism will never be possible because of "human nature". The essence of this false argument is the belief that a communist society would consist of an all-powerful central government that would tell everybody what to do--and would therefore undermine the creative initiative of individuals and the search for happiness. • This argument is based on two false assumptions: (1) It assumes that a communist society will look like the former Soviet Union, or the current China, North Korea, etc (ie: corrupt police states with a feudal-style ruling class) (2) It assumes that people will only work in...

How do you start an article on the subject that is so surreal that it has to be unbelievable? Government-sanctioned murder of an innocent woman has just completed its course. What are we going to do? Tyranny by our judicial system has just executed what I never thought could happen in the United States of America. A woman, who was brain-damaged, not dying, was murdered. It’s true our country has completed its journey into the “Orwellian” state. Help me understand this; we have a president who can enact war upon another country without congressional blessing, but President Bush couldn’t intervene...

Gas costs so much. I cant afford it. Why want Bush do something? Don't say he can't. His daddy or his handlers could be on the phone in 2 minutes with the Rothchilds and by 1 week, oil prices would be under $20 and gas would be 1 dollar a gallon. You know it and I know it. Why want he? Do you know? Is there sombody we can call? Plaese advice.

(CNSNews.com) - Gov. Jeb Bush is being compared to Pontius Pilate as he comes under intensive pressure from religious and pro-life groups to do whatever it takes to save Terri Schiavo's life. The groups that are pressuring Gov. Bush commend him for all he has done so far on Terri's behalf. But it hasn't worked -- and they say there is more that he can do. Dr. D. James Kennedy, the president of Coral Ridge Ministries, said that as governor, Jeb Bush is the only legal authority who can stop Terri from starving. "He must act and he must act...

New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) has long been rumored as desperately seeking the democratic nomination for president in 2008. And while many political observers fully expect the power hungry former First Lady to hit the campaign trail within only a few months of being re-elected as a US Senator in 2006, US News & World report claims to have a confirmation of sorts. From USNews.Com's Washington Whispers: Hillary's in… You don't have to take it from us about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 's desire to run for president. Her brothers, Hugh and Tony Rodham, say it's true. Friends...

Only in Canada: The say the Mounties "Always get their man," but it's the widows who pay. This is a disgrace! WIDOWS OF Mounties killed recently on duty in Alberta, including one shot dead during a standoff, have been stuck with hefty funeral bills by the national police force. Lesley Massey said the RCMP insisted on a full regimental funeral for her husband Dennis, a 33-year member who died in a traffic accident when a trailer came loose from a gas tanker and landed on his car. Massey said the force told her it would handle all arrangements, which it...

The Interview The Democrats had decided that they needed to hire a polling organization to make the best determination of where John Kerry stood in the polls. After extensive research they narrowed field down to three candidates: Rasmussen, Gallup and Zogby. The three organizations were invited to a final interview. The first candidate, Rasmussen was asked: “Where does John Kerry stand in the polls?” The representatives from Rasmussen then went into a 45-minute presentation by three different people on polling methodology, registered voters vs. likely voters, statistical analysis and past history of his organization. The Democrats were impressed, but proceeded...

If John Kerry's skin were any thinner, he would seem contained by Saran Wrap. Criticize the Democratic presidential nominee to any degree, and he responds as if gravely and unfairly wounded, even if he threw the first punch."The Bush campaign and its allies have turned to the tactics of fear and smear because they can't talk about jobs, health care, energy independence and rebuilding our alliances," Kerry whined at Cooper Union College in New York on August 24, soon after the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth began broadcasting torpedoes below Kerry's water line. Never mind that Kerry himself placed...

Longtime Democratic strategist Pat Caddell said Friday that if documents aired by CBS newsman Dan Rather Wednesday night turn out to be forged, as alleged by experts, the presidential race "is over."

Keyes' supporters rallied in front of the Union League Club Wednesday afternoon to meet Alan Keyes as he arrived for an interview with the IL GOP.     UPDATE -- IllinoisLeader.com has just confirmed that Alan Keyes will appear in person to announce his candidacy Sunday at the 2:00 p.m. rally for his supporters to be held at the Wellington Restaurant in Arlington Heights. ARLINGTON HEIGHTS -- Republicans from all over the state are expected to converge in Arlington Heights this Sunday to see Ambassador Alan Keyes accept the State Central Committee's tap as their U.S. Senate candidate for...

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Philippines will withdraw its forces from Iraq (news - web sites) "as soon as possible," Philippine Deputy Foreign Minister Rafael Seguis said on Monday in a statement he read out on al Jazeera television. "In response to your request, the Philippines ... will withdraw its humanitarian forces as soon as possible," Seguis said according to al Jazeera's Arabic translation of his remarks. His statement was addressed to the group which is holding a Filipino driver hostage.

<p>You wrote in the Monday editorial "Bush's conservative support" that "the president showed why conservatives will support him in November: Because he is one of them." Unfortunately, he is not.</p> <p>Under President Bush, the Republican Party has become the party of big government. The government has grown bigger and bigger, with more agencies, bureaucracies and enforcement programs. This president and a Republican Congress have given us an 8.2 percent annual increase in discretionary domestic spending (that's non-defense, non-entitlement), far greater than anything during the Clinton administration or any other administration since Richard Nixon's. This administration has given us the largest new entitlement program in almost four decades. Mr. Bush has yet to veto a single spending bill.</p>

Why don't we all flood Kennedy's email demanding that he apologise to the men and women in the U.S. military for his comments of late? Especially when he said Saddam's torture chaimbers have been re-opened under U.S. management... The more I think of that comment, the sicker I get. I say we flood this guy's email, but chances are, he will never apologise. Instead, Bush has to apologise for things he had no prior knowledge of. While Kennedy stinks up the air with his crap! I am sick and tired of the left in this country. Kennedy demanding Rumsfeld resign....

The idiot cartoonist Ted Rall is going to be on Hannity's radio show, In assume at the top of the hour.